New Jersey Layoffs — May 2024
Employers in New Jersey filed 13 WARN Act notices in May 2024, impacting roughly 2,084 workers — representing a notable rise over April and up 366% versus May 2023. The average filing covered 160 workers, with 0 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 4 | 1,080 |
| Retail | 4 | 721 |
| Accommodation & Food | 2 | 125 |
| Healthcare | 1 | 100 |
| Finance & Insurance | 1 | 51 |
| Professional Services | 1 | 7 |
The Manufacturing sector led the way in workforce reductions with 1,080 workers across 4 notices. In a parallel development, Retail reported 721 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Mercer | 3 | 870 |
| Essex | 2 | 362 |
| Hudson | 2 | 288 |
| Salem | 1 | 271 |
| Morris | 2 | 160 |
Mercer absorbed the greatest share of layoffs, accounting for 42% of all affected workers with 870 workers across 3 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Lawrenceville | 2 | 863 |
| Pedricktown | 1 | 271 |
| Hoboken | 1 | 237 |
| Caldwell | 1 | 201 |
| Newark | 1 | 161 |
Layoff Type Analysis
Layoff type classification was not available for filings in New Jersey this month.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bristol Myers Squibb | Lawrenceville | 776 | ||
| Walmart | Pedricktown | 271 | ||
| Walmart | Hoboken | 237 | ||
| RR Donnelly & Sons | Caldwell | 201 | ||
| Express Fashion Operations | Newark | 161 | ||
| Reckitt Benckiser, Mead Johnson, and RB Health | Parsippany | 100 | ||
| Bristol Myers Squibb | Lawrenceville | 87 | ||
| Havana Central NJ1 | Edison | 65 | ||
| Red Lobster | Ledgewood | 60 | ||
| Gabriel Brothers | Mount Laurel | 52 | ||
| Ubs | Weehawken | 51 | ||
| Coherent | Warren | 16 | ||
| Ets | Princeton | 7 |
The single largest action involved Bristol Myers Squibb at its Lawrenceville facility, reporting 776 affected workers. Walmart followed with 271 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The data underscores mounting pressure on the New Jersey labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This analysis is based on official WARN Act filings reported by New Jersey. The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act requires employers with 100+ employees to provide 60-day advance notice of mass layoffs and plant closings. Data is updated daily by WARN Firehose. View all New Jersey WARN notices, browse layoffs by state, or download the full dataset.